Reid plans Tuesday jobless vote

Finally seeing 60 votes, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) plans to call the first procedural vote Tuesday on a stalled unemployment benefits package that failed the Senate on his first four tries.

Reid told reporters Wednesday that West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin has promised to name an interim replacement for the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) this weekend. The new senator, combined with pledges from Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine to support the revised unemployment bill, would give the majority leader the filibuster-proof 60 votes that he needs to begin moving it to President Barack Obama's desk.

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“If Governor Manchin does what he has indicated to me he will, and we’ll have a new senator to replace Sen. Byrd, then we’ll vote Tuesday morning sometime on the unemployment extension,” Reid said.

The majority leader has been forced to wait for Byrd’s replacement because Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) declared his opposition to the bill before the Fourth of July recess and a GOP “no” vote could not be flipped. With the $33 billion benefits package in legislative limbo, more than 2 million Americans unemployed for more than six months have missed benefit checks they would have received had the aid program not been allowed to expire in May.

Passing the slimmed-down unemployment extension, which was separated from a larger tax-extenders bill at the end of last month to garner more votes, would also clear the way for Reid to pursue the other top priorities on his agenda as Congress hurtles toward its long August recess.

He emphasized on Wednesday that he still intends to move energy and small-business bills as well as the DISCLOSE Act during this congressional session.

Reid also expressed concern that by blocking unemployment benefits that could stimulate the economy, Republicans are politically positioning themselves for a stronger showing in November.

Asked point-blank by a reporter whether GOP leaders are trying to keep unemployment numbers high by blocking the unemployment benefits for their own political gain, Reid offered a convoluted “yes.”

“In answer to your question, I hope not,” Reid said. “But it appears, by all indications, your question is answered in the affirmative.”

A spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) pointed to a number of failed efforts by South Dakota Sen. John Thune and other Republicans to pass fully paid for, temporary unemployment packages. Republicans have repeatedly insisted that legislation moving through the Senate be deficit-neutral.

“The only reason the unemployment extension hasn’t passed is because Democrats simply refuse to pass a bill that doesn’t add to the debt. That’s it. That’s the only difference between what they’ve offered and what we’ve offered,” McConnell said on the floor late last month.